







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Is your father sick? | |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | |
| Anyway, do you live around here, too? | |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | |
| What else do we need? | |
| But which button? It doesn't show which controls which! | |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | |
| Hi there, are you ready? | |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | |
| Yes, he definitely doesn't like changing places. | |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | |
| Okay, that's fine. | |
| Do you want me to call them? | |
| Yeah, it's open here already... | |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | |
| I'm really sorry about that! | |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | |